Recording Disk Drive Motor, Recording Disk Drive Employing the Motor, a Method of Manufacturing a Stator Used in the Recording Disk Drive Motor, and Core Plate That Is Used in the Manufacture of the Stator

ABSTRACT

A recording disk drive motor is disclosed which is employed in a recording disk drive that retains a removable recording disk that has a diameter of 30 mm or less, as well as a method of manufacturing a stator core used in the same. The core back of the stator core in the motor has an arc shaped inner circumferential surface therein that is offset from the center thereof. The stator core is produced from a laminated body having a stator core, a chuck frame that is integral with and surrounds the stator core, and connector arms that connect the stator core and the chuck frame and integral therewith. After the windings are wound around the stator teeth, the stator core is cut from each connecting arm and the stator core is removed from the chuck frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a recording disk drive motor, inparticular to a thin and small type recording disk drive motor rotatablydriving a removable type recording disk such as a CD-ROM, a DVD or thelike, and a recording disk drive employing the motor, a method ofmanufacturing a stator used in the recording disk drive motor, and coreplate that is used in the manufacture of the stator.

2. Background Art

In recent years, disk drives that use a motor to rotatively drive aremovable type recording disk such as a CD-ROM, a DVD or the like havebegun to be used in mobile devices, e.g., devices such as digitalcameras and personal digital assistants (PDAs). In such devices, smallsize and portability are very important features, therefore, there is aneed for the diameter of the recording disk to be reduced when this typeof disk drive is used in these types of mobile devices. Naturally, thedisk drive and the disk drive motor employed therein is expected tobecome smaller and thinner as well.

It is known that axial gap type recording disk driving motors can beused to reduce the diameter of the motor. However, the axial gap typemotor is difficult to use in the thin type recording disk drive becausethe axial gap type motor includes a rotor magnet and a stator disposedto axially oppose each other across an axial gap.

On the other hand, radial gap type motors can reduce the axial height ofthe motor, however, there must be a special ingenious device forreducing the diameter of radial gap type motors because the radial gaptype motor include a rotor magnet and a stator disposed to radiallyoppose each other across a radial gap. Thus, if the diameter of an outerrotor type motor (in which the rotor magnet is disposed on the outercircumferential side of the stator) is reduced by reducing the quantityof the coil wound around the stator, then rotational torque generated byinteraction of the magnetic fields of the stator and the rotor magnetwill be reduced. It is therefore difficult to reduce the diameter of theouter rotor type motor. However, an inner rotor type motor (in which therotor magnet is disposed on the inner circumferential side of thestator) can be used as a radial gap type motor in a thin and small typerecording disk drive, because the inner rotor type motor can maintainthe quantity of the coil wound around the stator by using vacant spacein the disk drive, and thus the torque generated by the stator and therotor magnet is not reduced even if the diameter of the rotor isreduced. The stator of the inner rotor type motor includes a stator corethat has an annular core back and a plurality of stator teeth thatextend inward in the radial direction from an inner circumferentialsurface defining the circular hole, and windings that are wound aroundeach of the stator teeth. Each of the stator teeth and the windings forma plurality of stator poles, and the stator core is mounted on a basemember of the motor or the disk drive. The stator core is formed from aplurality of core plates laminated therewith and fixed together by meansof caulking or laser welding. The rotor of the inner rotor type motorincludes a rotor magnet that faces the stator poles and disposed insideof the annular core back in the radial direction, and a recording diskmounting portion for mounting the recording disk.

As described above, the diameter of the rotor in the inner rotor typemotor can be reduced to some extent. It is, however, difficult to avoidinterference with the operation of the read/write head and/or otherparts in the disk drive and maintain enough rotational speed and torquein the disk drive motor.

In addition, reducing the axial height or span of a bearing employed inthe motor of a disk drive will make the motor and the disk driverthinner. The bearing functions to center-balance the rotor in the radialdirection, and prevent vibration or wobble in the rotor. Theeffectiveness of the bearing in maintaining the rotor in a constantconcentric rotational relationship with the rotational axis of the motordepends on the rigidity of the bearing and the axial height or span ofthe bearing. However, the rotational precision of the motor will worsenas the axial height or span of the bearing is reduced, thereforereducing the axial height of the motor presents difficulties.

Furthermore, the width of the core back of the stator (the lengththereof in the radial direction) may be reduced, and as a result themagnetic path of the magnetic circuit or the fixing portion for caulkingor laser welding may be insufficient.

The above described problems become serious when a removable recordingdisk having a diameter of 30 mm or less is used. In fact, in accordancewith minimization of the size of mobile devices, a recording disk havinga diameter of 30 mm or less is being considered for use in such devices.

In addition, the stator is normally manufactured as follows. First, amagnetic steel sheet (e.g., a silicon steel sheet) is cut by any one ofa variety of press works, thereby obtaining a core plate having adesired shape including a plurality of stator teeth (the formingprocess). Next, a stator core is formed by stacking a number of the coreplates on top of one another (the lamination process), and then caulkingthem together (the fixing process). After this step, an insulatingmaterial is coated onto the surface of the stator core by spraying orevaporation (the insulating process). Finally, a wire is wound 20 timesaround each stator tooth of the insulated stator core while the statorcore is chucked by chucking unit of a coil winding apparatus (thewinding process), thereby forming a stator having windings wound aroundthe stator teeth.

However, in accordance with the overall reduction in the diameter andthickness of motors, the diameter and the thickness of stator cores alsocontinue to decrease, and thus the stiffness of the stator core isreduced. As a result, the stator core may be deflected when it ischucked by a coil winding apparatus.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate theaforementioned defects in the prior art, and to achieve sufficientfunction in an inner rotor type recording disk drive motor which has areduced diameter and axial height.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the axial height ofand overall size of a recording disk drive.

Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce the axialheight of and overall size of a recording disk drive which employs athin and small recording disk drive motor that rotatively drives aremovable type recording disk having a diameter of 30 mm or less.

Yet another object of the present invention to eliminate the problems inthe manufacture of a stator having a thin and a reduced diameter statorcore.

In one aspect of the present invention, a recording disk drive motor isemployed in a recording disk drive that retains and rotates a recordingdisk that is 30 mm or less in diameter and which can be freely insertedand removed therefrom, and which is comprised of a stationary member anda rotor. The stationary member includes a stator having a stator corewhich has a core back having an arc shaped inner surface and a pluralityof stator teeth that extend inward in the radial direction from theinner surface of the core back and windings that are wound around eachof the stator teeth. The stationary member further includes a basemember on which the stator is mounted. The rotor includes a disk-shapedhub having a disk mounting portion for removably mounting the recordingdisk. The hub is fixed axially endwise to a shaft which is a cylindricalmember and comprises a member of a sliding bearing, and the shaft isinserted into a through hole formed along a central axis of acylindrical sleeve member such that the shaft and the sleeve member arerelatively rotatable with each other.

Note that the types of removable recording disks that can be used in thepresent invention include, but are not limited to, magneto-optical disks(MO), minidisks (MD), floppy disks (FD), compact disk read only memorydisks (CD-ROM), compact disks (CD) and digital versatile disks (DVD).

The diameter and thickness of this recording disk drive motor have beenreduced to a level not found in the prior art. Note that the height ofthe motor is, for example, the distance in the axial direction from thelower end surface of the base member to the upper end surface of therecording disk mounting portion of the rotor. If the base member isintegral with the housing of the recording disk drive, the height of themotor is the distance in the axial direction from the lower end surfaceof the housing to the upper end surface of the recording disk mountingportion of the rotor.

The recording disk drive motor of the present invention makes itpossible to stably rotate a recording disk that is 30 mm or less indiameter. And, employing the motor of the present invention for arecording disk drive as such yields desired performance while making itpossible to scale the recording disk drive down to a lower profile and asmaller size.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing astator for the recording disk drive motor of the present invention iscomprised of the steps of: preparing a plurality of core plates each ofwhich has a stator core portion having a configuration corresponding tothe stator core, a frame portion being disposed so as to surround thestator core portion, and connecting arm portions that connect the statorcore portion with the frame portion, all of which are integrally formedwith each other; laminating each of core plates such that the statorcore, the frame, and the connecting arms are formed from the stator coreportion, the frame portion, and the connecting arm portion; and windingwire around each stator tooth of the stator core while chucking theframe thereof.

In this method of manufacturing a stator for the recording disk drivemotor, the frame of the core plates is chucked by a chucking unit of acoil winding apparatus when the windings are wound around each statortooth on the stator core. Thus, even if the diameter of the stator coreis reduced, deficiencies such as warping of the stator core duringwinding will not occur.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the general structure of aremovable recording disk drive according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of a recording disk drive motoraccording to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the recording disk drive motor according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a stator core in the recording disk drive motoraccording to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of the stator core shown in FIG.4, taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of a recording disk drive motoraccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the recording disk drive motor according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-section which describes the assembly ofthe recording disk drive motor according to a second embodiment of thepresent invention, and more specifically describes the assembly of ahydrodynamic bearing used therein;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-section which describes the assembly ofthe recording disk drive motor according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention, and more specifically describes the installation of adetent member used therein;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-section which describes the assembly ofthe recording disk drive motor according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention, and more specifically describes the attachment of abase member and bush used therein;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-section which describes the assembly ofthe recording disk drive motor according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention, and more specifically describes the attachment of astator core to the base member used therein;

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-section of a recording disk drive motoraccording to a first modification of the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-section of a recording disk drive motoraccording to a second modification of the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal cross-section of a recording disk drive motoraccording to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-section of a recording disk drive motor according toa fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a recording disk drive motor according to afifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a partial perspective view that shows the conductivestructure of a stator core winding in a recording disk drive motoraccording to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view that shows theconductive structure of the stator core winding in the recording diskdrive motor according to a first modification of the sixth embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 19 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view that shows theconductive structure of the stator core winding in the recording diskdrive motor according to a second modification of the sixth embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view that shows theconductive structure of the stator core winding in the recording diskdrive motor according to a third modification of the sixth embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 21 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view that shows theconductive structure of the stator core winding in the recording diskdrive motor according to a fourth modification of the sixth embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the statoraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a plan view of a core plate that is employed in themanufacture of the stator of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a cross-section of the core plates shown in FIG. 23, takenalong the line VIII-VIII shown therein; and

FIG. 25 is a plan view which describes how windings are produced by acoil winding device used in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A. Removable recording disk motor and recording disk drive employing thesame

First Embodiment

(a) Removable Recording Disk Drive

FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a removable recording disk drive 1according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The removablerecording disk drive 1 rotates a removable recording disk 5 that can befreely rotated therein and removed therefrom as needed, and isparticularly adapted for use in small devices such as PDAs and the like.In addition, the removable recording disk 5 has a diameter of 30 mm orless, and the recording disk drive 1 is small and thin. Note that theterm “vertical direction” is used when referring to the figures, butthat the actual position of the recording disk drive 1 should not belimited thereto.

The types of removable recording disk 5 that can be used in the presentinvention include, but are not limited to, magneto-optical disks (MO),minidisks (MD), floppy disks (FD), compact disk read only memory disks(CD-ROM), compact disks (CD) and digital versatile disks (DVD).

The removable recording disk drive 1 is constructed from a housing 2that includes a port 2 a on one side wall of the housing 2 and defines arecording disk transport path therein, a recording disk drive motor 3that is mounted inside the housing 2, a pick up device 4 that serves towrite information to and/or read information from the desired areas onthe recording disk 5 by being moved in the orthogonal direction (in thedirection illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 1) to the rotational axis ofthe recording disk drive motor 3, and a recording disk transportmechanism (not shown in the figures). The recording disk 5 istransported within the recording disk transport path in a directionparallel to the moving direction of the pick up device 4 by therecording disk transport mechanism from the port 2 a to the oppositeside thereof so as to load the recording disk 5 into or remove therecording disk 5 from the removable recording disk drive 1. Note thatthe pick up device 4 is disposed in the housing 2 such that it is nearthe port 2 a, and the recording disk drive motor 3 is disposed furtherinside the housing 2 and aligned with the pick up device 4. The port 2a, the pick up device 4, and the recording disk drive motor 3 arealigned with the direction in which the recording disk 5 is conveyedinto and out of the housing 2.

(b) Structure of the Recording Disk Drive Motor

(1) Overall Structure

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the recording disk drive motor 3,and FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof. The line O-O shown in FIGS. 2 and 3is the rotational axis of the recording disk drive motor 3.

The recording disk drive motor 3 is an inner rotor type three-phasemotor that is mainly comprised of a stationary member 8 and a rotor 9. Amagnetic circuit portion 41 which serves to generate rotational force ofthe rotor 9, and a hydrodynamic bearing 42 which serves to support therotor 9 so that it is relatively rotatable with respect to thestationary member 8, are formed between the stationary member 8 and therotor 9.

(2) Stationary Member

The stationary member 8 is mainly comprised of a base member 12, and astator 13 that is disposed on the outer circumferential side of the basemember 12 and which forms a portion of the magnetic circuit portion 41.

The base member 12 is a planar member in which a central hole 12 a isformed, and in which the outer diameter thereof has a substantiallysquare shape. In addition, a wall member 12 b that extends upward andparallel with the axis of rotation is formed on the edge of the basemember 12 at the end of the recording disk transport path (at theopposite side of the port 2 a with respect to recording disk transportdirection). The planar body and the wall member 12 b of the base member12 are fixed to and in contact with the inner walls of the housing 2.Note that an insulation plate 30 is fixed to the upper surface of theplanar body of the base member 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stator 13 is comprised of a stator core 15 whichincludes a plurality of stator teeth 18, a core back 17, and three-phasewindings 16 wound around each of the stator teeth 18. As shown in FIGS.4 and 5, the stator core 15 is formed by silicon steel plates laminatedto have 3 to 5 layers. Each of the silicon steel plate has thickness of0.20 mm, 0.35 mm, or 0.50 mm and is formed to a desired shape by pressworking. Each of the stator teeth 18 and the windings 16 wound thereonform a stator pole. Each winding 16 of each phase is adjacent to awinding 16 of a different phase, and each phase includes an equal numberof windings 16.

The core back 17 has a substantially rectangular external shape and anarc shaped inner surface 20, and the stator teeth 18 extend radiallyinward from the arc shaped inner surface 20. The stator core 15 has asubstantially rectangular external shape, with a length B (the verticaldirection in FIGS. 3 and 4) that extends in the recording disk transportdirection being shorter than a length A (the horizontal direction inFIGS. 3 and 4) that is perpendicular to the recording disk transportdirection. Thus, the core back 17 is composed of short sides 17 a and along side 17 b. Note, however, that the recording disk transportdirection (the vertical direction in FIGS. 3 and 4) may be the shortside of the stator core 15 and the direction perpendicular to therecording disk transport direction (the horizontal direction in FIGS. 3and 4) may be the long side of the stator core 15. In addition, fixedportions 17 c, where each of the silicon steel plates is fixed bycaulking or laser welding, are disposed on the corner portions of thecore back 17 (see FIG. 3). However, the long side near the pick updevice 4 in the recording disk transport direction has been omitted, andthis portion is shaped as a port 19 a of the stator core 15. By omittinga portion of one side of the core back 17 in the recording disktransport direction, the width of the stator core 15 can be shortened inthe recording disk transport direction (illustrated by the arrow inFIG. 1) and a space in which the pick up device 4 can be moved ismaintained.

In addition, by omitting a portion of one side of the core back 17, acenter point O of the arc shaped inner surface 20 of the core back 17 isaligned with an imaginary line that is perpendicular with the length A(the long side) of the core back 17 and intersects with the midpointthereof, but is shifted to a position slightly off (the lower directionin FIGS. 3 and 4) an imaginary line that is perpendicular with thelength B (the short side) of the core back 17 and intersects with themidpoint thereof. This positioning allows a sufficient amount of widthto be maintained in the long side 17 b of the core back 17. In otherwords, there is sufficient space in the fixed portions 17 c for applyingcaulking or laser welding, and the width of the long side 17 b can bemaintained at a level in which magnetic saturation does not occur.

The stator teeth 18 are disposed on the arc shaped inner surface 20 at auniform distance from each other in the circular direction. Morespecifically, a total of nine stator poles are formed by each of thestator teeth 18 and the windings 16, and are spaced from each other suchthat there would be twelve stator poles thereon if one long side was notomitted (if the stator core 15 is formed to be completely circular). Inother words, twelve stator poles will form a three-phase configurationhaving four poles for each phase, but here one pole is omitted fromevery phase and nine stator poles are used.

It should be noted that as few as six stator poles could be employed. Inthis situation, the six stator poles are spaced from each other suchthat there would be nine stator poles if one long side was not omitted(if the circular hole was completely circular).

The surface of the stator core 15 is coated and insulated with an epoxyresin, and the windings 16 are wound around the surface of each statortooth 18 insulated in this manner.

(3) Rotor

The rotor 9 is primarily comprised of a shaft 29, a hub 22 fixed on oneend portion of the shaft 29, a rotor magnet 23 that is fixed to the hub22, and a clamp magnet 24 that is fixed to the hub 22.

The hub 22 is formed from a ferromagnetic material such as iron,stainless steel, or the like (SUS 430, SUS 420, or the like based onJapanese Industrial Standards), functions as a turntable, and has acentral opening therein which is relatively fixed to one end portion ofthe shaft 29 by press fitting. The annular rotor magnet 23 is secured tothe lower portion of the hub 22 on the outer circumferential sidethereof. The rotor magnet 23 faces the stator 13 across a gap in theradial direction, and these two structures form the magnetic circuitportion 41. Note that the rotor magnet 23 is a Nd—Fe—B bond magnet. Inaddition, the magnetic center of the stator 13 in the axial direction isshifted lower than the magnetic center of the rotor magnet 23 in theaxial direction (the opposite side of where the rotor 9 projects outfrom the stationary member 8 in the axial direction), and thus the rotor9 is prevented from slipping out of the stationary member 8 by means ofthe magnetic attraction between the stator 13 and the rotor magnet 23.

The clamp magnet 24 is an annular member, and is fixed to the uppersurface of the hub 22 at a radially outward portion thereof. The clampmagnet 24 holds the recording disk 5 in place by means of magneticattraction.

In addition, when loading the recording disk 5 into the recording diskdrive 1, a recording disk transport mechanism (not shown in the figures)transports the recording disk 5 from the exterior of the housing 2 andmounts it on top of the hub 22 and the clamp magnet 24. The recordingdisk 5 is thereby fixedly mounted on the rotor hub 22 by a magneticattraction force acting between the recording disk 5 and the clampmagnet 24. Furthermore, when ejecting the recording disk 5 from therecording disk drive 1, the recording disk transport mechanism resiststhe attractive force from the clamp magnet 24 and lifts the recordingdisk 5 from the top of the hub 22 and the clamp magnet 24, andtransports it to the exterior of the housing 2.

(4) Bearing

The hydrodynamic bearing 42 serves to support the rotor 9 on thestationary member 8 such that the rotor 9 is freely rotatable thereon,and is composed of elements from the stationary member 8 and rotor 9.The hydrodynamic bearing 42 will be described below with reference toeach of these elements.

The stationary member 8 includes a bush assembly 39 disposed within thecentral hole 12 a of the base member 12. The bush assembly 39 functionsas a bearing structure, and is composed of a bush 25, a sleeve 26, athrust plate 27, and a thrust washer 28. The bush 25 has a hollowcylindrical configuration and is fitted or attached into the centralhole 12 a of the base member 12 by press fitting or laser welding. Thesleeve 26 is a hollow cylindrical member, and is fitted or secured intothe inner circumference of the bush 25 by press fitting or adhesive. Thesleeve 26 is made from a porous sintered metal material formed frommetal powder, metallic powder, or a non-metal powder, and is impregnatedwith lubricating oil. The base materials for the sleeve 26 can includecompounds such as Fe—Cu, Cu—Sn, Cu—Sn—Pb, and Fe—C. The shaft 29 isinserted within the sleeve 26 so as to form a narrow gap between theouter peripheral surface of the shaft 29 and the inner peripheralsurface of the sleeve 26, and the lubricating oil impregnated within thesleeve 26 is retained in the gap by capillary action. Approximateherringbone shaped grooves 26 a are formed in the inner peripheralsurface of the sleeve 26 for generating dynamic pressure so as to createsupport pressure acting in the radial direction during the rotation ofthe rotor 9. Note that in this embodiment, the grooves 26 a are formedalong one position in the axial direction, but they may also be formedin two positions along the axial direction. Furthermore, step shapedgrooves for generating dynamic pressure may be formed in the innerperipheral surface of the sleeve 26. Step shaped grooves are verticalgrooves that extend lengthwise in the axial direction, for examplegrooves formed in six positions around the circumference of the sleeve26. Because the sleeve 26 is formed from a porous sintered metalmaterial, the sleeve 26 and the grooves 26 a can be made easily, andthus the manufacturing cost of the hydrodynamic bearing 42 can bereduced.

In addition, a radial bearing may be comprised of a sliding bearing,which has no shaped dynamic pressure generating grooves, and is formedby the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 26, the outer peripheralsurface of the shaft 29, and the oil filled within the gap.

The thrust plate 27 is a disk shaped member, and seals the lower end ofthe opening in the bush 25 by being fixed to the lower end of the bush25. The thrust washer 28 is a thin disk shaped member, and is fixed tothe upper end surface of the thrust plate 27. The thrust washer 28 iscomposed of a cushioning material that has excellent resistance to wearand heat.

A lower end surface 29 a of the shaft 29 includes a curved surface, suchthat the central portion thereof is slightly higher than the outercircumferential portion thereof. The lower end surface 29 a of the shaft29 in contact with an upper surface of the thrust washer 28 so as toform a sliding bearing for supporting the shaft 29 during the rotationof the rotor 9.

(5) Dimensions of the Structure

In the present embodiment described above, the height H of the recordingdisk drive motor 3 is 4 mm or less, and preferably between 2 and 4 mm.Note that the height of the motor 3 is the distance in the axialdirection from the lower end surface of the base member 12 of thestationary member 8 (the datum plane when the base member 12 isinstalled in the housing 2) to the upper end surface of the recordingdisk mounting portion (the upper end surface of the clamp magnet 24 inthis embodiment).

In addition, the diameter D of the rotor 9 in the present embodiment is9 mm or less, and preferably between 6 and 9 mm. In other words, thediameter of the rotor is 4.5 times or less the height of the motor, andmore preferably 1.5 to 4.5 times.

As noted above, the recording disk drive motor 3 according to thisembodiment of the present invention achieves a small diameter andthinness that are unmatched in conventional recording disk drive motors,and is the optimum size for a device that drives a removable recordingdisk 5 having a diameter of 30 mm or less.

(c) Operation

When electrical current is supplied to the windings 16 of the stator 13,the magnetic circuit portion 41 generates magnetic force which actsbetween the stator 13 and the rotor magnet 23 so as to induce a forcefor rotation, and the rotor 9 is rotationally driven with respect to thestationary member 8. In accordance with the rotation of the rotor 9,radial load bearing pressure is generated in the hydrodynamic bearing42, and the rotor 9 is supported with respect to the stationary member 8so as to be freely rotatable.

(d) Operational Effects

The recording disk drive motor 3 must have a small diameter, because itis employed in a recording disk drive 1 for removably mounting andfreely rotating the a recording disk 5 that has a diameter of 30 mm orless.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the center O of arc shaped innersurface 20 of the core back 17 is shifted downward from the midpoint ofthe short sides of the rectangular core back 17 (the midpoint of line Bin FIG. 4) toward one of the long sides thereof and the port 19 a isformed by omitting a part of the core back 17. Therefore, a sufficientamount of width is maintained while allowing the recording disk drivemotor 3 to function properly. More specifically, the stator 13 preventsmagnetic saturation from occurring in the magnetic circuit, and thefixed portions 17 c, where each of the silicon steel plate is fixed bycaulking or laser welding, can maintain a sufficient amount of surfacearea. As a result, the small diameter recording disk drive motor 3described above can achieve a sufficient degree of functionality.

In addition, by virtue of forming the port 19 a, magnetic force is notgenerated between the stator 13 and the rotor magnet 12 at the port 19,and therefore the rotor 9 is always magnetically biased in the radiallyopposite direction to the port 19 a. As the result, vibration or wobbleof the rotor 9 is restrained by magnetic biasing force and the rotor 9can rotate with high precision even if the axial height or span of thebearing is reduced. Accordingly, the port 19 a makes it possible toreduce the diameter and the axial height of the disk drive motor 3 whilemaintaining desired bearing rigidity and rotational torque and speed.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a longitudinal section and a plan view of therecording disk drive motor 103 according to a second embodiment of thepresent invention. The structure of the recording disk drive motor 103of the second embodiment is basically the same as that of the firstembodiment, and thus each reference number used for each correspondingelement will be increased by 100, and the description of this recordingdisk drive motor 3 will be directed only toward the differences betweenit and that of the first embodiment.

(1) Stationary Member

A stationary member 108 is mainly comprised of a base member 112, and astator 113 that is disposed on the base member 112 and which forms amagnetic circuit portion 141.

The base member 112 is a planar member in which a central hole 112 a isformed. In addition, wall portions 112 b that extend upward and parallelwith the axis of rotation is formed on the edge of the base member 112at the end of the recording disk transport path. The base member 112 isfixed to and in contact with the inner walls of the housing 2. Inaddition, the stator 113 is comprised of a stator core 115 andthree-phase windings 116 and is secured to an inner surface of the wallportion 112 b by adhesive (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 7, the base member 112 has a substantially rectangularexternal shape, and with a length B (the vertical direction in FIGS. 7)that extends in recording disk transport direction being shorter than alength A (the horizontal direction in FIG. 7) that is perpendicular tothe recording disk transport direction. Thus, the base member 112 iscomposed of short sides 112B and a long side 112A. Note, however, thatthe recording disk transport direction (the vertical direction in FIGS.7) may be the short side of the base member 112 and the directionperpendicular to the recording disk transport direction (the horizontaldirection in FIGS. 7) may be the longer side of the base member 112.

The stator core 115 is an arc shaped member, and has a core back 117that includes an arc shaped inner surface 120 and stator teeth 118 thatextend radially inward from the arc shaped inner surface 120. A centerpoint of the arc shaped inner surface 120 of the core back 117 isaligned with an imaginary line that is perpendicular with the long side112A of the base member 112 and intersects with the midpoint thereof,but is positioned slightly off (the lower direction in FIG. 7) animaginary line that is perpendicular with the short side 112B of thebase member 112 and intersects with the midpoint thereof. In addition,the long side of the core back 117 near the pick up device 4 in therecording disk transport directions has been omitted, and this portionis shaped as a port 119 a of the stator core 115. This positioningallows a sufficient amount of width to be maintained in the long side117 a of the core back 117, which is disposed on the edge of the statorcore 115 at the end of the recording disk transport path. Therefore, thestator 113 prevents magnetic saturation from occurring in the statorcore 115, and fixed portion 117 c, where each of silicon steel plate isfixed by caulking or laser welding, can maintain a sufficient amount ofsurface area. As a result, the small diameter recording disk drive motor203 described above can achieve a sufficient degree of functionality.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of ports 112 c are disposed in a portionof the base member 112 so as to correspond to each of the stator teeth118 of a stator core 115. The lower end of the port 112 c is coveredwith a seal plate 149. The windings 116 that are wound around eachstator tooth 118 are stored in the port 112 c. Thus, by disposing aportion of the stator 113 in the port 112 c, the axial height of thestationary member 108 can be reduced, and the thickness of the motor canbe reduced. In addition, the number of layers of core plates in thestator core 115 can be increased. Moreover, an adhesive 134 is filledbetween the lower side of the stator teeth 118 and the port 112 c, whichfixes the stator 113 to the base member 112 and improves the degree towhich the stator 113 is fixed to the base member 112. Furthermore,vibrations generated in the stator core 115 when the motor rotates canbe suppressed by the adhesive 134, thereby reducing motor vibration andRRO (repeatable run out). Note that the port 112 c may be formed withconcave portions which do not pass through the base member 112.

(2) Rotor

The rotor 109 includes a shaft 129, a disk-shaped hub 122 fixed on oneend portion of the shaft 129 and made from a non-magnetic material suchas aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel (SUS 303, SUS 304, or thelike based on Japanese Industrial Standards), or the like, an annularyoke 131 that is fixed to a lower side of the hub 122, a rotor magnet123 that is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the yoke 131,and a ring 132 that is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of theyoke 131. The yoke 131 is a ferromagnetic material such as iron,stainless steel (SUS 430, SUS 420, or the like based on JapaneseIndustrial Standards), or the like and is formed by deformation(stamping or forging) or machining. The yoke 131 acts as a magneticshield such that magnetic flux is conducted toward the stator 113, andthus the magnetic force generated from the rotor magnet 123 can beeffectively used.

As described above, the hub 122 is made from a non-magnetic material andthe rotor magnet 123 in the second embodiment is larger in the radialand axial directions than that of the first embodiment, and thus itsmagnetic force is stronger. Therefore, the magnetic flux of the rotormagnet 123 can pass through the rotor hub 122 and magnetic attractionforce can be affected at the upper side of the hub 122. Because of that,the rotor magnet 123 not only functions as a main magnet cooperativelygenerating rotational force with the stator 113, but also functions as aclamp magnet for retaining a recording disk 105 on the hub 122. Thus, bymaking one magnet serve two functions, the number of parts are reducedand the structure of the recording disk drive motor 103 is therebysimplified. Furthermore, by increasing the magnetic force of the rotormagnet 123, deterioration in NRRO (non-repeatable run out) can besuppressed and the motor will stably rotate.

Meanwhile, the bearing structure for supporting the rotation of therotor 103 is similar to the recording disk drive motor 3 described inthe first embodiment. Therefore, detail of the bearing structure of thesecond embodiment is not made of the purpose of clarification.

The ring 132 projects inward in the radial direction beyond the innercircumferential surface of the yoke 131, and a flange 125 a is formed onthe upper side of the outer circumferential surface of the bush 125 atthe upper side of the ring 132 such that the ring 132 and the flange 125a are separately overlapped in the axial direction with each other. Thisconfiguration prevents the rotor 109 from slipping out of the stationarymember 108. In addition, the surface of the ring 132 is hardened byplating with nickel, nitriding, or coating with DLC (diamond-likecarbon). By hardening the surface of the ring 132, metal powder will notbe produced and scattered if the ring 132 and the flange 125 a and/orthe bush 125 come into contact with one another.

As noted above, because the ring 132 and the flange 125 a are disposedbetween the yoke 131 and the bush 125 in the radial direction, thestructure for preventing the rotor 109 from slipping out of thestationary member 108, the magnetic circuit portion 141, and thehydrodynamic bearing 142, are aligned in same plane in the radialdirection and do not overlap in the axial direction. Therefore, themotor 102 can be made more thin in the axial direction.

Next, the assembly and operation of this recording disk drive motor 103will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 8, the rotor 109 and a bushassembly 139 for the stationary member 108 are prepared. The shaft 129,the hub 122, the yoke 131 and the rotor magnet 123 are fitted togetherto form the rotor 109. The bush 125, a sleeve 126, a thrust plate 127,and a thrust washer 128 are fitted together to form the bush assembly139. A hydrodynamic bearing 142 is formed when the shaft 129 is insertedinto the inner circumferential side of the sleeve 126.

Next, as shown FIG. 9, the ring 132 is press fitted to the yoke 131 frombelow in the axial direction. As a result, the flange 125 a of the bush125 will be able to interact with the ring 132 in the axial direction,and the rotor 109 will be prevented from slipping out from the bushassembly 139 in the axial direction.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the bush assembly 139 is mounted tothe base member 112. More specifically, the bush 125 is press fittedinto a central hole 112 a in the base member 112. As a result, the rotor109 is supported on the base member 112 via the bush assembly 139.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 11, the adhesive 134 is placed in the port 112c, and the bottom portions of the windings 116 wound around the statorteeth 118 are disposed inside the port 112 c and fixed to the basemember 112 by means of the adhesive 134 to thereby fixedly secure thestator 113 to the base member 112.

The structure for preventing the rotor 109 from slipping out may bemodified in a variety of ways. Some of these modifications are explainedbelow.

(a) First Modification

In a first modification of the mechanism for preventing the rotor 109from slipping out of the stationary member 108, as shown in FIG. 12, aprojection 131 a, which is used as the ring 132, is provided on theinner circumferential side of the yoke 131 so as to project in theradially inward direction from the inner peripheral surface thereof. Inthis case, the yoke 131 and the rotor magnet 123 must be fixed to thehub 122 after the bush assembly 139 is assembled and installed. Notethat the projection 131 a may be formed to be annular, and may bepartially formed in a circumferential direction at portions inward inthe radial direction beyond the inner circumferential surface of theyoke 131 at equal intervals.

(b) Second Modification

In a second modification of the mechanism for preventing the rotor 109from slipping out of the stationary member 108, as shown in FIG. 13, adust protection plate 150 may be employed. The dust protection plate 150is fixed to the upper surface of a wall member 112 b on the base member112, and prevents dust from infiltrating into the stator 113 from theexterior thereof. The inner circumferential rim of the dust protectionplate 150 extends to the vicinity of the outer circumferential surfaceof the hub 122 and a flange 122 a is formed on the outer circumferentialsurface of the hub 122 at the upper side of the inner circumferentialrim of the dust protection plate 150 such that the flange 122 a and theinner circumferential rim of the dust protection plate 150 areseparately overlapped in the axial direction with each other, and thusthe rotor 9 can be prevented from slipping out of stationary member 108in the axial direction, without increasing the number of parts.

Note that the above described second embodiment can be used for a motorhaving a rectangular or an annular stator core, and the same superioroperational results noted above can be acquired thereby.

Third Embodiment

A third embodiment will now be described, in which only the sleeve 126in the motor 3 of the first embodiment has been modified. As shown inFIG. 14, a hollow cylindrical sleeve 226 is press fitted into the innercircumference of the base member 112. The sleeve 226 is made of a brassmember, and has a through hole formed along a central axis thereof. Athrust plate 127 seals a lower end of the opening in the sleeve 226 bybeing fixed to the lower end of the sleeve 226. The shaft 129 isinserted within the sleeve 226 so as to form a narrow gap between theouter peripheral surface of the shaft 129 and the inner peripheralsurface of the sleeve 226, and the lubricating oil is retained in thegap by capillary action. A radial bearing 241 is comprised of the outerperipheral surface of the shaft 129 and the inner peripheral surface ofthe sleeve 226 and the oil filled within the gap during the rotation ofthe rotor 109.

Note that the sleeve 226 of this embodiment is made of a metal material,such as stainless steel, copper, copper alloy or the like. In thisembodiment, because the sleeve 226 is made from a metal material, themotor component parts, such as the bush 25 of the first embodiment, canbe reduced. Thus, the recording disk drive motor of this embodiment canbe assembled smoothly and accurately at low cost.

In addition, approximate herringbone shaped grooves may be formed in theinner peripheral surface of the sleeve 226 for generating dynamicpressure so as to create support pressure acting in the radial directionduring the rotation of the rotor 109. Here, a hydrodynamic bearing iscomprised of the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 226, outerperipheral surface of the shaft 129, and the oil filled within the gapduring the rotation of the rotor 109. Further, herringbone shapedgrooves may be formed on axially separated upper and lower portions ofthe inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 226 so as to form a pair ofhydrodynamic bearings.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the recording disk drive motor103 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Thestructure of the recording disk drive motor 103 of the fourth embodimentis basically the same as that of the second embodiment, and thus thedescription of the recording disk drive motor 103 will be directed onlytoward the differences between it and that of the second embodiment.

A magnetic plate 160 is disposed in the port 119 (see FIG. 7) of coreback 117 on the base member 112, and faces the lower surface of therotor magnet 124 in the axial direction. The magnetic plate 160 is anarc shaped member, which is made of stainless steel or the like, andsecured on the base member 112 by adhesive to define a predetermined gapbetween an upper surface of the magnetic plate 160 and an lower surfaceof the rotor magnet 123. The magnetic force of the rotor magnet 123serves to magnetically attract or bias the rotor 109, so that the hub122 and the shaft 129 are magnetically attracted in approximately axialdownward direction.

This configuration produces the following superior effect. The magneticattraction force between the rotor magnet 123 and the magnetic plate 160is generated in the port 119 of the core back 117. As described above,by virtue of forming the port 119, the rotor 109 is magnetically biasedin the radially opposite direction to the port 119 (illustrated by thearrow in FIG. 14) by the magnetic biasing force generated by the rotormagnet and the stator. Because the influence of the magnetic force ofthe stator and the rotor magnet is deflected in the circumferentialdirection, the rotational precision of the rotor 109 may deterioratewhile the motor is rotating at low speed. To the contrary, however, therotor 109 can be stably rotated during the low speed rotation of thedisk drive motor 103, because the magnetic attraction force can begenerated by the rotor magnet 123 and magnetic plate 160 disposed withinthe port 119, and deflection of the influence of the magnetic force ofthe stator and the rotor magnet can be absorbed.

In addition, an inner peripheral surface 126 b of the sleeve 126 at theopposite side of the port 119 a of the core back 117 is always incontact with an outer peripheral surface of the shaft 129 due to themagnetic biasing force, and thus the inner peripheral surface 126 b ofthe sleeve 126 tends to wear it out. However, because the deflection ofthe magnetic force of the stator and the rotor magnet can be absorbed bythe magnetic attraction force affected between the rotor magnet 123 andthe magnetic plate 160, the inner peripheral surface 126 b of the sleeve126 can be prevented from being worn out.

In this embodiment, the base member 112 is integral with the housing 102of the recording disk drive.

Note that the above described the forth embodiment configuration can beused for the motor of the first embodiment, and that the same superioroperational results noted above can be acquired thereby.

Fifth Embodiment

A fifth embodiment will now be described, in which only the stator core15 in the motor 3 of the first embodiment has been modified. As shown inFIG. 16, interpoles 18 a are provided on the stator core 15. Theinterpoles 18 a are disposed near the port 19 a in the core back 17, andare stator teeth that face the rotor magnet 23 in the radial directionbut do not have windings wound around them. More specifically, theinterpoles 18 a extend from the circumferential surface 20 on the lowerends (in the transport path direction) of the short ends 17 a, and theleading edges thereof are adjacent to the outer circumferential surfaceof the rotor magnet 23. Note that the interpoles 18 a are producedtogether with the core back 17 and the stator teeth 18 when the statorcore 15 is formed by press works. There are two interpoles in thisembodiment, but three or more interpoles are also possible.

As a result, the benefits of the port 19 a can be realized whilesuppressing the production of cogging. This makes it possible to stablydrive the recording disk drive motor 3. Note that an annular stator coreand the stator core 115 which has an arc shaped configuration (see FIG.7) may be used, and the same superior operational results noted abovecan be achieved thereby.

Sixth Embodiment

A sixth embodiment will now be described, in which only the method ofconnecting the windings 16 in the first embodiment has been modified. Asshown in FIG. 17, an insulating substrate 51 on which three phaseconductive patterns 52 have been formed is provided on the base member112, both ends of each of the windings 16 are soldered to eachconductive pattern 52, and each phase of the windings 16 are laid out.As a result, compared to a structure in which a conventional insulatoris employed and crossover wires are laid out, in this embodiment aninsulator is unnecessary, thus allowing the number of parts to bereduced and a reduction in costs, as well as making the space for theinsulator unnecessary.

Next, modifications of this embodiment will be described, in whichterminal pins 53 are employed to connect the windings 16.

(a) First Modification

As shown in FIG. 18, an insulating substrate 56 on which conductivepatterns have been formed is provided on the upper end surface of thebase member 12. In addition, an upper insulator 57 is provided on theupper side of the stator core 15, and a lower insulator 58 is providedon the lower side of the stator core 15. Furthermore, terminal pins 53that pass through the stator core 15 are provided, and lower endportions thereof are fixed to the insulating substrate 56 with anadhesive. Upper end portions of the terminal pins 53 project upwardhigher than the stator core 15, and windings 16 are wound around theseportions.

(b) Second Modification

As shown in FIG. 19, terminal pins 53 that pass through the stator core15 are provided, and lower end portions thereof are fixed to theinsulating substrate 56 with an adhesive. In addition, the windings 16are wound around the portions of the lower end portions of the terminalpins 53 that project downward lower than the stator core 15.

(c) Third Modification

As shown in FIG. 20, the insulating substrate 56 on which conductivepatterns have been formed is provided on the upper end surface of thedust prevention plate 44. In addition, a terminal pin 53 that passesthrough the stator core 15 is provided, and an upper end portion thereofpasses through the dust prevention plate 44 and is soldered to theinsulating substrate 56. A lower end portion of the terminal pin 53projects downward lower than the stator core 15, and a winding 16 iswound around this portion.

(d) Fourth Modification

As shown in FIG. 21, the insulating substrate 56 on which conductivepatterns have been formed is provided on the upper end surface of thedust prevention plate 44. In addition, terminal pins 53 that passthrough the stator core 15 are provided, and upper end portions thereofpass through the dust prevention plate 44 and are soldered to theinsulating substrate 56. The upper end portions of the terminal pins 53project upward higher than the stator core 15, and the windings 16 arewound around these portions.

In any of the aforementioned first through fourth modifications, theconnection between the conductive patterns and the winding 16 issimplified, which thereby simplifies the assembly of the motor 3,because terminal pins 53 are employed to connect the windings 16 to theconductive patterns. More specifically, it is easy to automate thisprocess because the position of the windings from the beginning ofwinding to the end thereof is fixed.

In addition, in any of the aforementioned first through fourthmodifications, insulated terminal pins 53 may be directly passed throughthe core back 17 of the stator core 15, and/or an insulator may beprovided between each stator tooth 18 and terminal pins 53 may be passedthrough these insulators. Moreover, in the structures shown in FIG. 15and 16, the terminal pins 53 may be soldered to the insulating substrate56.

Other Embodiments

While only selected embodiments of the recording disk drive motoraccording to the present invention have been described above, thepresent invention is not limited thereto, and various changes andmodifications can be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

For example, the structure of the hydrodynamic bearing in theembodiments shown in the figures is not limited thereto, and may bemodified by changing the shape or number of grooves used therein, or bythe types of lubricants used therein.

B. Method of Manufacturing the Stator

The flowchart in FIG. 22 will be used to describe a method ofmanufacturing the stator 13 noted in the aforementioned embodiments.

First, in the forming process of Step S1, a magnetic steel sheet (e.g.,a silicon steel sheet) is cut by any one of a variety of press works,thereby obtaining a core plate 50 having a desired shape and including aplurality of stator teeth. The core plate 50, as shown in FIGS. 23 and24, includes a stator core portion 52 that corresponds to the statorcore 15, a frame portion 53 that is disposed such that it surrounds thestator core portion 52, and connecting arm portions 54 that connect thestator core portion 52 with the frame portion 53, all of which areintegrally formed with each other. The frame portion 53 is annular inshape, and is disposed around the circumference of the stator coreportion 52. The connecting arm portions 54 are a plurality of elongatedportions that extend from the inner circumferential edge of the frameportion 53 to the outer circumferential edge of the stator core portion52. More specifically, the connecting arm portions 54 respectivelyextend from the short sides 17 a of the stator core portion 52, from thelong side 17 b of the stator core portion 52, and from the ends of theshort sides 17 a that are adjacent to both sides of the port 19 a. Notethat notches 57 are formed adjacent to the outer edges of eachconnecting arm portion 54 in the circumferential direction so as toextend outward in the radial direction from the inner circumferentialedge of the frame portion 53. In addition, hourglass portions 55 areformed between the inner ends of each connecting arm 54 in the radialdirection and the stator core portion 52. The hourglass portions 55 arenarrower and weaker than the connecting arm portions 54 and thereforefacilitate being cut.

Next, in the lamination process of Step S2, a number of the core plates50 are laminated on top of one another (e.g., three to five). In thisembodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, five core plates 50 are laminatedtogether.

In the fixing process of Step S3, a fixing process is carried out in thecorner portions of the core plates 50 to form the fixed core plates 51(refer to the portions 17 c fixed by caulking shown in FIG. 3). Notethat the fixing process may also be laser welding, or may be acombination of laser welding and caulking. As a result of this process,the fixed core plates 51 are made up of the stator core 15, a frame, andconnecting arms, which are respectively formed from each stator coreportion 52, frame portion 53, and connecting arm portions 54 on eachcore plate 50. Note that in the description of the fixed core plates 51below, the reference number used for the frame will be the same as thatused for the frame portion 53, and the reference number used for theconnecting arms will be the same as that used for the connecting armportions 54.

In the insulating process of Step S4, an insulating material is coatedonto the surface of the fixed core plates 51. More specifically, theinsulating material may be coated onto the fixed core plates 51 bymethods such as powder coating (epoxy resin), electro-deposition, spraycoating, or a combination of powder and spray coating. Note that in theinsulating process, an insulator may be employed to provide insulationon the fixed core plates 51.

In the winding process of Step S5, as shown in FIG. 25, a coil windingdevice chucks the fixed core plates 51, and winds the windings 16 twentyor more times around each stator tooth 18. More specifically, a chuckingunit 60 of the coil winding apparatus grasps two sides of the frame 53of the fixed core plates 51 in order to retain it, and a nozzle 61 (coilwire supply member of the coil winding apparatus) winds coil wire aroundeach stator tooth 18 on the stator core 15. The diameter of the coilwire is between thirty and sixty microns, and there are twenty to eightyturns of coil wire placed on each stator tooth 18.

Finally, in the cutting process of Step S6, the connecting arms 54 arecut off by a device not shown in the figures at the hourglass portions55, and the stator core 15 is separated from the frame 53. As a result,a stator 13 having windings 16 wound around the stator teeth 18 of thestator core are formed. Therefore, the stator core 15 is easilyseparated from the frame 53 without using a large amount of cuttingforce.

In the method of manufacturing a recording disk drive motor having thestator 13 noted above, the frame 53 of the fixed core plates 51 is usedto chuck the fixed core plates 51 when the windings 16 are wound aroundeach stator tooth 18 of the stator core 15. Thus, even if the statorcore 15 has a reduced diameter, deficiencies such as warping of thestator core 15 during the winding process will not be produced.

In addition, because a portion of one of the long sides of the statorcore 15 has been removed, it is less rigid than a stator core that hasnot had a portion of one of its long sides removed. However, even if therigidity of the stator core 15 is low, deficiencies such as warping ofthe stator core 15 during the winding process will not be producedbecause the frame 53 of the fixed core plates 51 is chucked whenwindings are wound around each stator tooth 18 on the stator core 15.Note that an annular stator core and the stator core 115 which has anarc shaped configuration (see FIG. 7) may be used, and the same superioroperational results noted above can be acquired thereby.

1. A method of manufacturing a stator for an inner rotor type of motorthat comprises a stator core comprising an core back having an arcshaped inner surface and a plurality of stator teeth that extend inwardin the radial direction from the arc shaped inner surface, and windingsthat are wound around each of the stator teeth, the method comprisingthe steps of: preparing a plurality of core plates that are eachcomprised of a stator core portion that corresponds to the stator core,a chuck frame portion that is disposed such that it surrounds the statorcore portion, and connector arm portions that connect the stator coreportion and the chuck frame portion, all portions of each of the coreplate being integrally formed with each other; laminating each of thecore plates to form a stator core, a chuck frame, and connecting armsformed respectively from the stator core portions, the frame portion,and the connecting arm portions; winding wire around each stator toothon the stator core while chucking the frame on the core plates; andcutting the stator core from each connecting arm after winding iscompleted and removing the stator core from the frame.
 2. The method ofmanufacturing a stator for a motor set forth in claim 1, furthercomprising the step of coating a surface of the core plates with aninsulating material between the lamination step and the winding step. 3.The method of manufacturing a stator for a motor set forth in claim 1,wherein each core plate further comprises a hourglass portion disposedat an interface between the stator core portion and each connecting armportion and which is narrower than the connecting arm portions.
 4. Themethod of manufacturing a stator for a motor set forth in claim 1,wherein: the stator core portion is approximately rectangular in shape;a center of the inner circumferential surface is located in a middlethereof in a lengthwise direction, and is shifted away from a middle ofthe core back in the widthwise direction; and a port is formed byomitting a portion of one of two long sides of the core back.
 5. Themethod of manufacturing a stator for a motor set forth in claim 1,wherein: the stator core portion is approximately circular in shape; anda port is formed therein by omitting a portion of the core back.